This invention relates to a lightweight plow that can be attached to the front of a motor vehicle such as an automobile, small truck, all-terrain vehicle, small tractor or other similar motorized vehicle, for use in removing snow from a residential driveway. It may also be used for occasional moving of other materials such as sand or gravel. There are many commonly used methods of removing snow from residential driveways: snow shovels, snow blowers, and heavy hydraulically operated snow plows mounted on the front of trucks. The deficiencies of the snow shovel are that it requires heavy lifting and/or pushing of snow in back-breaking fashion in multiple, small quantities. Snow blowers can be quite expensive, require trips to the gas station for fuel, may have persistent starting problems, and may be inefficient due to wind conditions. Both shoveling and snow blowers require the user to be out in the cold elements and require them to be in relatively good health so as to avoid stress on their hearts. The snow plows attached to trucks require enormous investment in both the vehicle and the plow, the plows are usually made of steel which will rust over time, and require substantial storage space. Wheel weights are required on the truck to counterbalance the weight of the steel plow, and chains may be required to provide sufficient traction. The hydraulics used to operate the plows require substantial maintenance. Finally, the majority of homeowners do not have their own truck and snow plow, but must hire someone to clear their drive. This may result in the drive not being cleared as soon as the homeowner would prefer.
While not commonly used, arrangements have been disclosed in the past for attaching a plow to a passenger vehicle. Many such arrangements required welding or bolting plow support structures to the frame or other metal structures, such as metal bumpers, of the automobile. The following patents disclose arrangements for propelling plows by an automobile which do not require the bolting, clamping or welding of metal structures to the automobile:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,448,534, Jun. 10, 1969, Pipes et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,104, Jul. 31, 1990, Kowalczyk
U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,795, Aug. 11, 1992, Rosenberg
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,010, May 4, 1993 Grossman
U.S. Pat. No. 6,518,544, Feb. 11, 2003, Matisz et al.
The Pipes et al. patent sets forth a snowplow for a vehicle which attaches to a vehicle by a pair of universal bumper hitch assemblies 64, each of which includes a rod 66 extending from the bumper to the rear of the mold bars 16. Thus, the snowplow arrangement of the Pipes et al. patent is not usable with current automobiles that do not have bumpers. Similarly, the snow plow assembly of the Rosenberg patent is attached to the bumper of an automobile. The Kowalczyk patent reveals a snowplow blade which is supported on the vertical portions of two L-shaped members, with the horizontal portions being attached to the automobile by suction cups. The Grossman patent sets forth a snowplow which is formed by folding sheets of planar material, and attaching the formed snowplow to an automobile with straps, Velcro strips, screw, bolts, adhesives or any other suitable material. The Matisz et al. patent shows a snowplow consisting of two blade wing sections, each of which has an integrally formed bumper column which engages the bumper of a vehicle. Each of the two blade wing sections are secured to the vehicle by a strap.